Case file · Cosmic event
Libyan Desert Glass
Pale yellow natural glass scattered across the Great Sand Sea of western Egypt was described for science in December 1932 by the surveyor Patrick Clayton. A piece forms the scarab in one of Tutankhamun's pectorals.
1932 CE · 25.50, 25.50 · status: explained
The account
The glass formed about 29 million years ago. It contains zircon altered at temperatures only reached in impacts, which points to an asteroid strike or an airburst.